Crane and Tower Operators Salary
Crane and Tower Operators in Paducah, KY-IL make a median of $63,070 a year, or about $30.32 an hour. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers.
So what does $63K get you in Paducah?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Paducah’s Regional Price Parity (86.1). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About crane and tower operators
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What this looks like in Paducah
Crane and tower operators pay in Paducah tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $68K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $1,058/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 25.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.1 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for crane and tower operators in metros near Paducah, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $81K | , |
| Lexington-Fayette | $74K | , |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $56K | , |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $71K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Paducah, KY-IL
Entry-level crane and tower operators (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Crane and Tower Operators pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Crane and Tower Operators salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $124K | +83% | 190 |
| Nevada | $116K | +70% | 380 |
| Rhode Island | $104K | +53% | N/A |
| Washington | $101K | +49% | 1,030 |
| New Jersey | $101K | +48% | 1,000 |
| Massachusetts | $98K | +44% | 680 |
| Alaska | $92K | +36% | 50 |
| Maryland | $88K | +29% | N/A |
| New York | $86K | +26% | 1,150 |
| Oregon | $83K | +22% | 340 |
| North Dakota | $83K | +22% | 180 |
| Montana | $83K | +22% | 30 |
| Connecticut | $81K | +20% | 220 |
| Minnesota | $81K | +19% | 370 |
| California | $80K | +17% | 2,130 |
| Wyoming | $78K | +15% | 230 |
| Colorado | $77K | +13% | 470 |
| Kansas | $77K | +13% | 780 |
| Texas | $73K | +8% | 6,010 |
| Vermont | $73K | +7% | 170 |
| Florida | $72K | +5% | 2,570 |
| South Dakota | $71K | +4% | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $68K | -1% | 440 |
| Iowa | $68K | -1% | 650 |
| Utah | $67K | -1% | 440 |
| Arizona | $67K | -1% | 930 |
| Virginia | $67K | -2% | 1,120 |
| Maine | $66K | -4% | 360 |
| Pennsylvania | $65K | -4% | 1,630 |
| North Carolina | $64K | -5% | 1,050 |
| South Carolina | $64K | -6% | 720 |
| Oklahoma | $64K | -7% | 620 |
| New Hampshire | $63K | -7% | 170 |
| New Mexico | $62K | -8% | 290 |
| Georgia | $62K | -9% | 1,370 |
| Kentucky | $62K | -9% | 640 |
| Illinois | $62K | -9% | 1,220 |
| Mississippi | $61K | -10% | 550 |
| Louisiana | $61K | -10% | 1,930 |
| Alabama | $61K | -11% | 1,280 |
| Nebraska | $61K | -11% | 410 |
| Delaware | $60K | -12% | 220 |
| Michigan | $60K | -12% | 1,310 |
| Tennessee | $59K | -13% | 660 |
| Missouri | $58K | -14% | 630 |
| Ohio | $58K | -15% | 1,780 |
| West Virginia | $55K | -19% | 170 |
| Indiana | $53K | -22% | 2,300 |
| Idaho | $53K | -22% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $42K | -39% | 880 |
Showing 1–10 of 50 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track crane and tower operators salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Paducah numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a crane and tower operator afford a 2BR apartment alone in Paducah?
Yes — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 25.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,058/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for crane and tower operators in Paducah?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new crane and tower operators typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,744/month. At HUD’s $1,058/month FMR, rent would take 39% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is crane and tower operator a high-paying job in Paducah?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $68K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Paducah compare to the national average for crane and tower operators?
Paducah pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $68K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.1), the purchasing-power equivalent is $73K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do crane and tower operators make in Paducah, KY-IL?
The median is $63,070 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,740, and experienced crane and tower operators can clear $83,450. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Paducah?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,183/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,058/month, which eats 25.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a crane and tower operators salary go in Paducah?
Paducah has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median crane and tower operators salary is worth about $73,252 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do crane and tower operators get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.